Computerworld: Jaikumar Vijayan

Shadow cloud services pose a growing risk to enterprises

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 10:27:00 GMT

A growing tendency by business units and workgroups to sign up for cloud services without asking their IT organization creates serious risks for enterprises.

UPS now the third company in a week to disclose data breach

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 00:52:00 GMT

Credit and debit card information belonging to customers who did business at 51 UPS Store Inc. locations in 24 U.S. states this year may have been compromised.

Healthcare organizations still too lax on security

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 20:13:00 GMT

The data breach at Community Health Systems that exposed the personal information on more than 4.5 million people is a symptom of the chronic lack of attention to patient data security and privacy within the healthcare industry.

About 4.5M face risk of ID theft after hospital network hacked

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 19:07:00 GMT

About 4.5 million people in 28 states face the risk of identity theft due to a massive data breach at Community Health Systems (CHS) a Franklin, Tenn., based health network.

Supervalu breach shows why move to smartcards is long overdue

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 10:44:00 GMT

The data breach disclosed by Supervalu is another reminder about why the ongoing migration of the U.S. payment system to smartcard technology can't happen fast enough.

Grocery stores in multiple states hit by data breach

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 16:29:00 GMT

A data breach at Supervalu Inc., one of the largest grocery wholesalers and retailers in the U.S., could affect thousands of people who shopped at the company's stores in June and July.

Tennessee firm blames bank for $193K cybertheft

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 19:16:00 GMT

A lawsuit filed in Tennessee earlier this month has resurfaced questions about a bank's responsibility in protecting customers against cyberheists.

Senator wants curbs placed on fitness data use

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 20:17:00 GMT

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate the data gathering and sharing practices of makers of personal fitness devices and applications.

PCI Security Council moves to boost service providers' credit card security

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 18:06:00 GMT

The PCI Security Standards Council has updated its guidance to help merchants better determine whether third party service providers have implemented security measures to protect credit and debit cardholder data.

Russian credential theft shows why the password is dead

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 20:15:00 GMT

News that Russian hackers amassed log-in credentials belonging to more than 1.2 billion Internet users hammers home why companies that have not implemented strong authentication measures really need to get moving on it.

Cybersecurity should be professionalized

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:15:00 GMT

The time is ripe for professionalizing cybersecurity, according to Salve Regina University's Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy.

Retail industry rallies behind open standard for tokenization

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 20:09:00 GMT

A coalition of retail industry trade groups this week called for the creation of an open tokenization standard for protecting credit and debit card data from theft and misuse.

Microsoft ordered to turn over customer data stored in the cloud

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 09:57:00 GMT

Microsoft has been ordered to comply with a U.S. government demand for a customer's emails stored on a company server in Dublin, Ireland.

Attackers exploit remote access tools to compromise retail systems

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 19:57:00 GMT

Malicious hackers are using remote access tools to break into retail point-of-sale systems and plant malware on them, the Department of Homeland Security warned.

CISOs still struggle for respect from peers

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 16:47:00 GMT

Chief information security officers (CISOs) continue to have a hard time gaining the respect of other C-suite executives despite the heightened focus overall on information security.

There's still a security disconnect on BYOD

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 16:55:00 GMT

Corporate employees are taking a surprisingly lax approach towards security issues raised by the business use of personally owned mobile devices.

New docs show DHS was more worried about critical infrastructure flaw in '07 than it let on

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 21:39:00 GMT

The Department of Homeland Security mistakenly released details on an experiment in which a 27-ton generator was destroyed via a cyberattack.

NSA defends collecting data from U.S. residents not suspected of terrorist activities

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:22:00 GMT

The National Security Agency Monday defended its data collection practices amid revelations that almost 90% of the data it sweeps up involves ordinary Internet users not suspected of crimes.

Hackers hit more businesses through remote access accounts

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:48:00 GMT

Hackers recently broke into payment systems at several northwestern U.S. restaurants and food service companies via a remote access account belonging to one of their vendors, another example of the need for companies to monitor third-party access to their networks.

Critics blast Microsoft's takedown of No-IP domains

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:11:00 GMT

Microsoft's tactics in using a court order to seize nearly two-dozen No-IP.com domains it said were used to distribute Windows malware tools were called ham-handed by several critics.

Groups fear bill would allow free flow of data between private sector and NSA

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 20:11:00 GMT

A draft U.S. Senate bill aimed at making it easier for organizations to share cyberthreat information poses serious threats to personal privacy, several rights groups said in a letter to Congress on Thursday.

Google's move into home automation means even less privacy

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 18:46:00 GMT

Smart thermostat maker Nest Labs plans to soon start sharing some customer data with Google, its corporate parent, and that means the search engine giant will have to address users' privacy concerns as it expands into home automation.

Supreme Court cellphone ruling a big win for digital privacy

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 19:08:00 GMT

Privacy and civil rights groups lauded Wednesday's unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling that police must obtain a search warrant before searching through the contents of an arrested person's cellphone.

Security skills shortage is real, and it's not going away anytime soon

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 20:07:00 GMT

The current shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the U.S will likely resolve itself over the next several years, according to the RAND Corp. But until then, companies will find it disturbingly difficult to recruit skilled workers.

Congressman questions FTC breach probe amid claims of 'corporate blackmail'

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 18:48:00 GMT

A U.S. House committee has called on the Federal Trade Commission's Inspector General to probe the agency's relationship with a peer-to-peer network-monitoring firm whose data is key evidence in an FTC complaint filed against LabMD.

Bill to require warrant for email searches gains ground in House

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 10:10:00 GMT

A far-reaching bill that would require the government to obtain a warrant to search through people's emails and other online communications now has majority support in the House of Representatives.

Bank not liable for customer's $440,000 cybertheft

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 19:34:00 GMT

A Missouri escrow firm that lost $440,000 in a 2010 cyberheist cannot hold its bank responsible for the loss an appeals court said this week affirming a lower court's previous ruling on the issue.

Internet in Iraq suffers government-ordered shutdowns amid violence

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 19:58:00 GMT

In what's become a familiar pattern in recent years, the government in Iraq appears to have ordered major Internet shutdowns over the past few days amid escalating sectarian violence in the country.

P.F. Chang's post-breach move to manual processing is telling

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 19:33:00 GMT

The decision by P.F. Chang's China Bistro to switch to manual payment processing after a recent data breach at the restaurant chain is unusual, security experts said this week.

Target finally gets its first CISO

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:56:00 GMT

Target has hired a chief information security officer, a move that's noteworthy mainly because it is the first time the company has had anyone in this role -- even though it is one of the largest retailers in the U.S.

Most U.S. credit cards will have microchips by end of 2015

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 19:52:00 GMT

The long expected migration of the U.S. payment system to the Europay MasterCard Visa smartcard standard finally appears to be gathering steam.

One year later: Four reasons Edward Snowden remains a polarizing figure

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 10:46:00 GMT

Edward Snowden remains a polarizing figure in the U.S. on the one-year anniversary of the first published story based on his leaks about the NSA's surveillance practices.

The 10 biggest Edward Snowden leaks

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 10:30:00 GMT

One year ago, on June 5, 2013, The Washington Post published the first of Edward Snowden's leaks. Since then, many more revelations have come to light. Here are a look at 10 of the biggest.

The Snowden leaks: A timeline

sharon_machlis@computerworld.com (Sharon Machlis) — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 10:25:00 GMT

A look back at the security fallout following the NSA spying disclosures that began a year ago after Edward Snowden fled the U.S.

California kills bill requiring that retailers use EMV smartcards

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 19:46:00 GMT

The California State Senate has killed a bill that would have required California retailers to implement the Europay MasterCard Visa smartcard (EMV) standard that's seen as far safer than magnetic stripe technology used today.

Companies should already know how to protect data, FTC argues

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 30 May 2014 20:05:00 GMT

The FTC has published enough information publicly for companies to know what it considers reasonable security practices for protecting sensitive data, an FTC official said.

In baffling move, TrueCrypt open-source crypto project shuts down

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 29 May 2014 18:07:00 GMT

In a bizarre move, the anonymous managers of the TrueCrypt open-source encryption project abruptly pulled the plug on the effort without explanation.

Advisory firm urges ouster of majority of Target board members over breach

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Wed, 28 May 2014 19:59:00 GMT

A company that advises institutional shareholders on governance risk and proxy voting issues wants seven of Target's 10 board directors voted out over the massive data breach disclosed by the retailer last December.

DARPA unveils hack-proof drone tech

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Tue, 27 May 2014 19:49:00 GMT

In a claim reminiscent of Oracle Corp.'s 'unbreakable' marketing campaign of several years ago, the U.S. military has built what it calls a hack proof drone.

Coming soon to a fridge near you -- targeted ads

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 23 May 2014 10:15:00 GMT

Targeted advertisements are headed to smart fridges, smart thermostats and other Internet-connected devices, raising potentially new privacy issues for consumers who use those products.

AT&T hacker wants government to pay him $13M

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Tue, 20 May 2014 22:04:00 GMT

Andrew 'weev' Auernheimer, whose struggles with U.S. prosecutors have fueled calls for reforming the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, wants the government to pay him $13 million for imprisoning him for the past three years.

Hacker indictments against China's military unlikely to change anything

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Mon, 19 May 2014 18:48:00 GMT

The U.S. government's decision to formally indict five members of the Chinese military on criminal hacking charges marks a significant escalation of what's been a war of words between both countries.

Snowden leaks prompt tech firms to tout privacy, transparency policies

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 16 May 2014 20:12:00 GMT

Several tech companies have revamped privacy and transparency policies since revelations in leaked National Security Agency (NSA) documents showed that the U.S. was secretly collecting customer data from Internet Service Providers, telecommunications companies and others.

License reader lawsuit can be heard, appeals court rules

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Wed, 14 May 2014 20:05:00 GMT

A federal appeals court this week ruled that a woman's Fourth Amendment rights may have been violated when San Francisco police arrested her after an automated license plate reader mistakenly identified her car as stolen.

Senator seeks answers on Samsung's fingerprint scanner for Galaxy S5

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Tue, 13 May 2014 20:15:00 GMT

U.S. Sen. Al Franken questioned Samsung on the privacy protections the company has in place for the fingerprint scanning technology on its recently released Galaxy S5 smartphone.

With the Internet of Things, smart buildings pose big risk

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Tue, 13 May 2014 10:30:00 GMT

In an Internet of Things world, smart buildings with Web-enabled technologies for managing heat, lighting, ventilation, elevators and other systems pose a more immediate security risk for enterprises than consumer technologies.

IT malpractice: Doc operates on server, costs hospitals $4.8M

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Thu, 08 May 2014 19:58:00 GMT

An inadvertent data leak that stemmed from a physician's attempt to reconfigure a server cost New York Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center $4.8 million to settle with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Emails shed light on Google's work with NSA

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Tue, 06 May 2014 20:15:00 GMT

Two sets of emails obtained by Al Jazeera America under a Freedom of Information Act request suggest that Google's cooperation with the National Security Agency may have been less coerced than the company has let on.

Canada woes, breach seen as cause for Target CEO's exit

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Mon, 05 May 2014 20:13:00 GMT

Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel's resignation Monday as president, CEO and chairman of the Board of the company likely isn't a sign that boards of directors are now holding chief executives accountable for massive data breaches.

FTC told to disclose the data security standards it uses for breach enforcement

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 02 May 2014 20:19:00 GMT

The FTC can be compelled to disclose details of the data security standards it uses to pursue enforcement action against companies that suffer data breaches.

The Internet of Things likely to drive an upheaval for security

jvijayan@computerworld.com (Jaikumar Vijayan) — Fri, 02 May 2014 10:07:00 GMT

The Internet of Things is likely to bring 'a major inflection point in security' sooner than you think.

7 hidden dangers of wearable computers

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 11:00:00 GMT

Wearable computers like smart clothes and smart watches offer a myriad of benefits, but also raise security concerns. Here are 7 worries associated with wearable devices.